Asian Games 2023 esports: Teedech Songsaisakul wins all-Thai final in EA Sports FC Online
Historic first individual esports medal awarded at Asian Games as Sonsaisakul overcomes compatriot Phatanasak Varanan in straight sets in the best-of-three final in the football video game EA Sports FC Online.
Thailand's Teedech Songsaisakul has been crowned the inaugural champion in the football game EA Sports FC Online, formerly known as FIFA Online 4, at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou on Wednesday (27 September), in doing so also becoming the historic first individual esports gold medallist in the Asian Games.
He beat his fellow Thai Phatanasak Varanan in straight games in the best-of-three final to make history. The competition was held in a double-elimination format, meaning Varanan had to win through the loser's bracket final earlier in the evening against Kwak Jun-hyouk. Teedech, meanwhile, had won through the winners' bracket, finding himself in the overall final as the top seed and favourite to win.
But Songsaisakul actually found himself behind early in the opening set of the final, as Varanan sent a smart finish (Ruud Gullit) from the edge of the box into the net. That remained the score until half-time, but the action exploded into life in the second.
Songsaisakul equalised from close-range (Leon Goretzka) on 53 minutes but Varanan responded immediately from inside the box (Ronaldo Nazário), before the former netted twice (Kim Min-jae and Destiny Udogie) to take the lead. Varanan then saw a stoppage-time effort from range cannon off the crossbar as Songsaisakul edged ahead 1–0 in the overall contest.
As it turned out, the second set was a one-sided affair. Songsaisakul took the lead with a neatly worked goal on 32 minutes, Pavel Nedved finishing into an empty net. He doubled his lead through Gullit from the edge of the box before half-time, before making sure of victory with a placed shot just inside the box (Lothar Matthäus) on 60 minutes. Victory in the set was assured when Songsaisakul smashed another shot in from Gullit, and although Varanan got a consolation through Ronaldo Nazário, there was no stopping the overall 2–0 win for Songsaisakul.
The Republic of Korea's Kwak took bronze after falling 1–2 to Varanan in the losers' bracket final. Varanan had claimed the opening set with a 2–1 win, before Kwak levelled the overall with a scrappy penalty shootout win. However, smart game management in the deciding set allowed Varanan to take the third 1–0 and progress to the overall final.